The Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, & the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School

by Faraz Rabbani

A Basic Hanafi Primer on Faith, Prayer, & the Path of Salvation

God has commanded us to worship and obey Him, with sincerity, out of reverence, love, and thankfulness. He says in the Qur'an, "And they are ordered only to serve God, keeping religion pure for Him, to remain upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion" (Qur'an, 98.5).

This worship is not possible without knowledge. This short work outlines the absolute essentials of this knowledge: in faith, prayer, and key points related to one's life and dealings.

It is based on the methodology of traditional Sunni Islam, according to the Hanafi school, the largest school of Islamic law, and its purpose is to make one's worship valid, sound, and proper in a short amount of time.

• Learn the basics & essentials of Islamic beliefs
• Make your purification and prayer proper, sound, & valid
• Learn key issues on the path to Paradise

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

59 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Faraz Rabbani was born in Karachi, Pakistan and raised in Toronto, Canada. He entered the University of Toronto with a full scholarship and completed his Bachelor's in Economics & Commerce in May 1997. While in Canada, Shaykh Faraz was involved with various organizations and projects, including founding and running the monthly The Muslim Voice and acting as the Vice-President of the University of Toronto Muslim Students' Association from 1994-1996. While in Toronto, he was involved in various Islamic study circles and educational programs, including those of Shaykh Ahmad Talal al-Ahdab, Shaykh Faisal Hamid Abdur-Razzak, and Shaykh Muhammad Zahid Abu Ghudda. After graduation, Shaykh Faraz traveled with his family to Damascus, Syria, to formally seek Islamic knowledge. In Damascus, he studied Arabic, Aqidah (Islamic creed), Mantiq (Islamic Logic), Hanafi Fiqh, Shafi'I Fiqh, Usul al-fiqh, and Hadith with a number of scholars including Shaykh Haytham Idilbi, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Kharsa, Shaykh Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, Shaykh Umar al-Sabbagh, Shaykh Jihad Brown, Shaykh Mu'min al-Annan, Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, Sayyidi Shaykh Adib Kallas, Shaykh Muhammad Jumuah, Sh. Abd al-Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Haytham, Shaykh Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, and Ustadh Mahmud al-Bayruti. In the Summer of 2000, he moved to Amman, Jordan. Upon moving to Jordan, his teachers advised him to focus on teaching of what he had covered, for which they gave him encouragement and permission, and to continue his personal research and study. In 2007, he spent some time in Karachi, Pakistan, learning from the scholars there. In the Summer of 2007, he returned to Toronto, where he settled with his wife and three children. In Toronto, he is teaching through SeekersGuidance, both online and on-the-ground. He also travels frequently to give lectures at different conferences and universities. In 2011, he founded SeekersHub, an educational center in Mississauga, Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area that functions as the physical location for SeekersGuidance and is extremely active in hosting both educational programs and community outreach.' to 'Faraz Rabbani was born in Karachi, Pakistan and raised in Toronto, Canada. He entered the University of Toronto with a full scholarship and completed his Bachelor's in Economics & Commerce in May 1997. While in Canada, Shaykh Faraz was involved with various organizations and projects, including founding and running the monthly The Muslim Voice and acting as the Vice-President of the University of Toronto Muslim Students' Association from 1994-1996. While in Toronto, he was involved in various Islamic study circles and educational programs, including those of Shaykh Ahmad Talal al-Ahdab, Shaykh Faisal Hamid Abdur-Razzak, and Shaykh Muhammad Zahid Abu Ghudda. After graduation, Shaykh Faraz traveled with his family to Damascus, Syria, to formally seek Islamic knowledge. In Damascus, he studied Arabic, Aqidah (Islamic creed), Mantiq (Islamic Logic), Hanafi Fiqh, Shafi'I Fiqh, Usul al-fiqh, and Hadith with a number of scholars including Shaykh Haytham Idilbi, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Kharsa, Shaykh Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, Shaykh Umar al-Sabbagh, Shaykh Jihad Brown, Shaykh Mu'min al-Annan, Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, Sayyidi Shaykh Adib Kallas, Shaykh Muhammad Jumuah, Sh. Abd al-Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Haytham, Shaykh Abd al-Haleem Abu Sha`r, and Ustadh Mahmud al-Bayruti. In the Summer of 2000, he moved to Amman, Jordan. Upon moving to Jordan, his teachers advised him to focus on teaching of what he had covered, for which they gave him encouragement and permission, and to continue his personal research and study. In 2007, he spent some time in Karachi, Pakistan, learning from the scholars there. In 2007, he returned to Toronto, where he settled with his wife and three children. In Toronto, he is teaching through SeekersGuidance, both online and on-the-ground. He also travels frequently to give lectures at various conferences and universities. In

Reviews

[zayni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book to gift someone as they had some questions about salah. I liked that the author first explained different rulings and their weightings e.g. fard, sunnah mu'akkadah, makruh tanzihi/tahrimi. To understand this is important imo for practicing Islam as best possible. I think the Salah chapter could've done with some images perhaps but overall it was well described with good notes.

[Besim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm a Shafi'i I have to say Shaykh Faraz is amazing. (L)

[Angie Emara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise instructions on proper prayer, washing and sunnah. Has all the essentials. Great for practical use.

[Asjad]

Very basic explanation of following the essentials of Islam in the Hanafi school. I was expecting some kind of exploration of the Hanafi school and their methodology that has been used to derive these specific rulings but it turned out to be things that I already knew for the most part. Would make for a good little booklet for beginners though.

[Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise text that's worth, at the very least, skimming through for the Salah (ritual prayer) and Wudhu (ablution) rulings alone.

There are two excellent appendices on the Sunnah (supererogatory) prayers and Salah recitations with both Arabic and English transliterations. However, I found out later that the text doesn't cover multiple variants of recitations, such as Salat Ibrahmiyyah. This is understandable in light of the concise nature of the text but a heads up for those who may be caught off guard.

In general, it never hurts to double check on the fundamentals!

PS. I obtained the text for free via Seekersguidance Absolute Essentials of Islam course.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faraz Rabbani writes this book as a very good manual for Muslims following the Hanafi School of Madhab. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani has approached this text in very simple terms with the goal – to educate in the basics and essentials we need to follow for Islam. Through the following excerpt in his book, he establishes this goal by further proving it with a verse from the Qur’an.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani writes: “God has commanded us to worship and obey Him, with sincerity, out of reverence, love, and thankfulness. He says in the Qur'an, "And they are ordered only to serve God, keeping religion pure for Him, to remain upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion" (Qur'an, 98:5).”

I really enjoyed how Shaykh Faraz Rabbani wrote out these chapters. Each chapter begins with verses of the Qur’an speaking of its’ characteristics. He then coupled this with listing basics and obligatory acts for each of these essentials. The fact that this book was written just including these basics, it is a very good manual a Muslim can refer to ongoingly. Every time I do Ablution, or Wudu, I can look up the handy list of obligatory acts as a refresher and make sure I’m not missing anything whilst I perform this act. I recommend everyone to have this copy on hand and refer to this book from time to time to ensure our basics are being covered accurately and soundly.

[Aakif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, infact is an abridged version of Shaykh Amīn Jundī’s Iṣlāḥ ʿIlm al-Ḥāl. But this book should only be read as the course book for absolute essential of Hanafi fiqh otherwise it just it too concise and gives doesn't provide a through basic knowledge as it claims.

[Naureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple and perfect book to start off initial knowledge on Islam. Precise and to the point, covering all the absolute essential aspects of Islam one needs to know to start practicing their religion right away. And the fact that the author himself, Shaykh Faraz (Allah be pleased with his work) teaches his book on SeekersGuidance makes it a well comprehensive course and book to learn and understand.

[sigh ra · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for muslims trying to learn the basics of practicing islam, explains beliefs and rituals broken down step by step. it even has some prayers at the back and some guidelines in terms of intention when praying! a must read for someone (re)discovering their islamic faith and (re)learning how to practice.

[Said Bak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for English-speaking followers of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. It is probably the best primer available in the English language.

[Khan Faisal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really quick on the go book covering the essentials you require. Really good book to sometimes look through for basic essentials and is a very quick read.

[Arzu A · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book went along with a course that I followed on SeekersGuidance. Amazing! May Allah ﷻ be pleased with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani! Amin.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deutsche Version „Das Allerwesentlichste im Islam“ gelesen.

[Umair Akbani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book describing very basic aspects of Islam according to Hanafi Fiqh. He details what the core beliefs a Muslim should have, how one should clean themselves, and how one should pray. It's only 64 pages long and can easily be read in one sitting. Essential reading for any Muslim / non Muslim curious about the faith.

[Tahir Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short but excellent work by Shaykh Faraz Fareed Rabbani. It primarily explains how one makes his worship valid and sound according to the Ḥanafī School. This makes it a fundamental work for all Muslims who want to ensure their wuḍūʼ (purification) and salāt (prayer) is valid.

It begins with the six pillars of faith and what each one of these beliefs entails:
1) Belief in Allāh
2) Belief in the Angles
3) Belief in the Books
4) Belief in Allāh's Messengers
5) Belief in the Last Day
6) Belief in Destiny

It is very short in explaining each pillar and covers the bare bones as is its intention. It is perfect for someone wanting to know the very basics of these beliefs. After covering the six pillars of faith the Shaykh explains what is meant by obligatory (farḍ), necessary (wājib), recommended (mustaḥabb) and other such terms, covering eight different rulings. It is a good brief explanation of these expressions in an Islamic context. Again, detailing just the basic meaning so as not to complicate matters or confuse readers.

The bulk of this work is dedicated to wuḍūʼ and salāt. It gives you a detailed explanation from beginning to end of how to carry out your wuḍūʼ in the correct manner. It also expounds the obligatory parts of purification as well as what would nullify ones ritual ablution. For example, if you end up sleeping, lying down or reclining on your side (according to the Ḥanafī School) then your ablution is nullified and you would need to do your wuḍūʼ again (all four imāms agree that sleep nullifies your wuḍūʼ but differ on posture and other such details. Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (d.150/767) based this on the ḥadīth, "Ablution is obligatory on one who sleeps reclining on one side"). The book does not aim to give you the reasons behind the ruling or the authority in terms of how this was established. It is for anyone wanting to know the basics of what is obligatory in the wuḍūʼ as well as the salāt (covered in the subsequent chapter) and what would invalidate each of them.

The Shaykh goes on to explain that the obligatory actions in the prayer are twelve. Seven are outside the prayer and are called conditions (e.g. you must be in state of ritual purity, facing the qibla); five are inside the prayer (e.g. standing, bowing) and are called integrals. The Shaykh lists the necessary actions in prayer as well as the actions that are disliked in the prayer in addition to the actions that would invalidate your prayer. Most importantly he provides a complete description of the prayer, from beginning to end so you can follow it and correct or ensure you're praying according to a valid method. It is important to learn the obligatory matters in Islam and prayer is high up on that list.

The notes provide a transliteration of the Arabic to help English speakers correct their pronunciation of reciting for the prayer but it is not a substitute for a teacher. However, it is immensely beneficial and if you are worried that you may not be performing your prayer correctly but you're too afraid to ask then I advise you to purchase this work so that you may be able to learn and then take the next step to let one qualified listen to your recitation or observe your prayer. That of course is entirely your choice but I highly recommend you purchase this as it helped me correct my prayer and I can only hope it would do the same for you.

[Shadab Dip · Rating 5 out of 5]

ইসলাম নিয়ে জ্ঞান অর্জন করতে হলে অবশ্যই এমন কোনো বই দিয়ে শুরু করা লাগবে যেটা সহজে বোঝা সম্ভব এবং একদম প্রাথমিক পর্যায় থেকে শুরু করবে। এমনই একটি বই এটি। আরো ভালো হয় কোনো আলেমের সহচর্য পেলে যাতে বইটি কি বুঝিয়েছে সহজে বোঝা যায় এর জন্য seekersguidance.com এ লেখকের দারস রয়েছে। বইটি মূলত ফিকাহের ক্ষেত্রে হানাফী মাযহাব এবং আকীদাহ এর ক্ষেত্রে অশারি মাযহাব অনুসরণ করেছে। বইটিতে প্রথমে ঈমানের ছয়টি রুকুন নিয়ে অল্প কিছু ব্যাখ্যা রয়েছে। এরপর হানাফী ফিকাহের পরিভাষা নিয়ে কিছু বলা আছে। ফিকাহের অংশ হিসেবে শুধু গোসল, ওযু এবং নামাজ এই তিনটি এর ফরজ, ওয়াজিব ও সুন্নত গুলি নিয়ে আলোচনা করা হয়েছে। বইটির শেষ অংশে ইহসান কী এবং কিছু উদাহরণ দেওয়া আছে।
যারা এমন কোনো বই চান যেটা থেকে একদম প্রাথমিক পর্যায়ের পড়াশুনা থেকে শুরু করতে চান তাহলে এটা একটা খুবই ভালো বই হতে পরে ইনশাআল্লাহ্।

[Qasim Zafar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the supplementary text which is made accessible when taking the Hanafi Track with seekersguidance.org, and I found it to be very helpful in summarizing the lectures. The lectures can be quite long but this book reinforces the core of the knowledge the student is supposed to take away very well.

[Ahsun · Rating 3 out of 5]

good review of the basics

[David Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the basics and a quick read, but vital to any new convert or newly practicing Muslim. Based on Hanafi fiqh, and used to teach a class on www.seekersguidance.org by the author.

[Suhayb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book to gain an understanding of the basic requirments in Hanafi fiqh. Really learned a lot.

[Imran Khan]

Very basic but useful Hanafi primer.

[Rehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very basics of Hanafi fiqh (ghusl, wudu, salat, good character, and the attributes of Allah)

[Farhan M. Tariq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and to the point, a must have for any follower of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.